In the land of smiles!

As a very active social media user, both as a part of profession and choice, I was sure fascinated by all those extremely beautiful blue terrain photographs of many islands in Thailand. For the love of traveling and ticking off the first international 'vacay goal', we chose Phuket, the largest island on the south-west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket province comprises of Phuket island, along with 30+ smaller islands and more than 35 beautiful beaches and Phuket city is the capital known for its old town buildings and busy markets. The points of interest in Phuket outcast the options of Bangkok and Pattaya for us and to have a leisure experience we skipped Krabi (also, the major attractions between Phuket & Krabi could be covered from Phuket itself)

It was an all-girls trip, which meant more make-up, more show-off, more pictures and more 'no-filter-talks' time!

Day 1 July 15 afternoon is when we arrived at the Phuket International Airport. An hour drive from the airport to our resort in Patong district gave a country-side feel with lush green trees and meadows on either side. Adding to it was no-sun no-rain weather making it a very pleasant first impression. A good pizza and a cozy nap helped us gear up for the first plan of our itinerary- The Phuket Fantsea Show- a wonderful cultural theater extravaganza crafted for 70 minutes to tell a fantasy tale of a kingdom Kamala through performances that include shadow and lights, aerial acts, magic, martial arts, traditional moves and celebrations that signify unity, circle of life, compassion, good and evil, fun, harmony, love, courage, hope and perseverance. What made it jaw-dropping was 100+ artists performing simultaneously in smaller groups in various parts of the auditorium and before we could figure out their entry and exit there would be another group doing an aerial act! - a true treat to the eyes I must say.

Day 2 July 16, started off with visiting the famous "Big Buddha" (coincidently it was the occasion of Guru Poornima). The humongous 45-meter tall white marble statue sits atop Nakkerd Hills in Karon sub-district. The panoramic view of the city is what makes this place a revered landmark. The special sight of Burmese dressed in traditional robes offering prayers was an add-on to this day. Karon viewpoint or the 3-beach viewpoint was a quick stop to get hold of an amazing tropical sight of Kata Noi, Kata Yai and Karon beaches. Next on our plan was Wat-Chalong (a Buddhist monastery or temple) with 2 floors consisting of golden Buddha statues and a top floor that displays a fragment of bone from Lord Buddha as per the history. We got lucky as there was a local flea market on the campus this day and there we could taste the authentic country cuisine dish- the Pad Thai (stir-fried clear noodle dish topped with sprout beans) and it was way too delicious! We then gave a quick visit to the 3D trick eye museum and stopped by a souvenir shop to start on the shopping spree!

Evening was leisure and we decided to walk along the Patong beach and reached Bangla road- the most happening nightlife place in Phuket. What's something not to miss on are the delicious pancakes from the street and our personal favorite was 'Banana-Nutella'

Day 4 Coral Island or Ko He was a nearby destination located around 10 km away from Phuket city, quite ideal for water sports and a peaceful walk along the beach as it is likely to be less crowded compared to the other popular beaches. We reached there through speed boat in less than 15 minutes. Undersea walking with friends to explore the marine life and the coral colonies was indeed one of the best episodes added to the adventure basket.

With some free time in the evening, we decided to go to Simon Cabaret show in Patong, again a theater experience but more on a glamorous entertainment side. What was interesting was their choice of blending south-east Asian songs from prominent languages into their art form. Dilli wali girlfriend is what made our hearts go all singing and dancing. Traditional Thai massage is a sure "must try" for the very relaxing effect it will leave you with and also, it did gear us up with more energy for another long travel day